FAQ

What is Rooster?

Rooster is your city’s central hub for neighbors to help, borrow and share with one another - the only rule is that everything must be FREE. The benefits of such a community are immense: from reducing our waste and our spending, to getting to know our neighbors, and spreading acts of kindness around us. As Rooster members, we practice unconditional giving and focus on contributing our share and paying it forward. Everything on Rooster is done for free without expectation of pay or reciprocity. We’re neighbors being neighbors again.

What are the Rooster community values and why have them?

Rooster is about people first. To successfully foster a
sharing movement, it is important that everyone on board
agrees on the code of conduct for the group. Every new member
must sign off on these values.

The basics are:

Rooster is where neighbors share

Everything on Rooster is FREE

We’re bringing the village back

Be yourself, have fun, make friends

We’re all in this together, play nice

Pay it forward.

We hope these values clarify the type of behavior and conduct
expected of members.

Where did Rooster start? Can I see it in action?

The original pay-it-forward movement emerged in Portland, OR where today 1 in 4 homes (That’s over 60,000 of them!) are involved in acts of sharing and kindness, connecting back to their community like old times. Rooster has appeared on Portland’s local KGW (NBC affiliate), KOIN TV, The oregonian, Portland monthly and others.

To view the action from active communities please visit the “Thank yous” area, which includes thank you notes and reviews from all launched Rooster communities :-)

How does Rooster work?

The main Rooster feed will show you posts from people in
your proximity, as well as from all around town (you can
chose). Post are separated by category.

To post on Rooster you simply click “Create a post” and
choose the appropriate category.

A moderator reviews all posts, making sure they fit with the
Rooster guidelines and use appropriate language and tone for
the nature of this group.

Approved posts are visible to everyone on Rooster.

Once a post is satisfied the owner can “Resolve” the post,
meaning they’ll no longer receive new responses.

Thank you notes are then sent between members for helping
each other out, and appear on the profiles of the people
involved, strengthening their trustworthiness in the
community.

What posts are allowed on Rooster?

The following categories are allowed:

Free items offered / Wanted

Skill & Service exchange

Activity partners & new friends

Volunteers (wanted / offered)

Community causes

Helping hands (wanted / offered)

Borrowing and lending

Pets (Lost / found / adoption)

Lost and found

Free events

Ride sharing

Advice and recommendations

Other and general (must be sharing related)

What are thank you notes?

Well, since we don’t pay one another on Rooster, we do what
every human being would do when being helped by a kind
neighbor: Just say thanks, huh?

When you connect with someone and get helped on Rooster you
can send a thank you note to the helper/s. That thank you
note makes ‘em feel appreciated, and also appears publicly on
their profile and on the Rooster “thank you wall” and
“featured thank you notes” area. The positivity created by
these notes encourages everyone to keep doing good, because
we can clearly see the results of our actions as a community.

Are there email notifications? To who? When?

Rooster does not spam. We connect neighbors. The typical
email notification frequency is twice per week and you can
reduce it to 0 any time.

Here is an example Rooster digest

Here is an example email notification for new members

What is the Rooster family tree and why build it?

For a Rooster community to succeed, members must first pull
together for an effort to build their city’s community. The
family tree is a fun game where each person you invite is added
to your branch and each person they invite is added on your sub
branched. Individuals and organizations who contributed to
building the community will be highlighted and recognised by
the family tree which will be displayed on the site!
Organizations can add their logos too.

How can I bring Rooster to my hometown?

Rooster is still growing up. A high number of joiners in your city or neighborhood will speed up Rooster’s arrival in your location. Join now and invite your friends, you’ll be notified as soon as Rooster hatches and you’ll be able to start Roostering right away!

How can I contact you?

We love hearing from you! email us: hello@rooster.co

Can others see my address?

No. Your address is only visible to you.

We ask for your address so we can show you more relevant requests from members who live nearby. The pins on the Rooster user map can not be associated with any specific user nor their exact location.

Who's behind Rooster?

Rooster is lovingly built by a
small team,
and supported by a group of admins and community moderators.
Want to get involved ? Shoot us an email at
hello@rooster.co !

Are you hiring?

If no positions are posted on our website, feel free to shoot us an email with your CV or Linkedin profile, and let us know what attracts you to join Rooster and how you can contribute. We are always excited to meet individuals who share our passion and want to help. jobs@therooster.co

What can I post on Rooster?

Anything that is free.

Giving away or asking for items

Lending and borrowing items

Exchanging skills (Spanish lessons for music lessons etc.)

Inviting to free, non commercial community driven events

Getting advice and recommendations

Arranging ride shares, shared tool sheds etc.

Anything else which does not directly or indirectly involve a monetary exchange or promotion is generally fine.

We encourage you to use good judgement and ask for things that are reasonable to ask a neighbor.

What can't I post on Rooster?

No selling

No “looking to buy”

No paid services

No medications, especially no prescription medications.

No “First time free and afterwards pay”

No jobs

No promotion of other groups, services or brands

No housing, rentals or promotion of "free" space (these sometimes appear to be promotions)

No real estate

No recommending a vendor: asking for recommendations is OK but posting to recommend a vendor is too similar to a promotion

Do not post coupons: these are too similar to a promotion

No asking for unreasonable things - a house, a car, a diamond ring or doing your laundry are inappropriate things to ask of a neighbor.

No posting without an actionable offer or request

No begging: Rooster is about sharing between neighbors, not about charity. You may ask for things you need, but please avoid begging. (Ex: cans, bottles, money)

No asking for things directly replaceable by money such as cans and bottles

No dating

No adult content

Nothing offensive or illegal

No spam or abuse

All content is up to Rooster moderators discretion at all times

Borrowing and Lending on Rooster

Borrowing and lending is a great way to spare the environment, save some bucks, meet and befriend your neighbors! The following recommendations are written for the borrowers, but lenders should read them too, so you know what to expect.

Rooster is a communal effort based on mutual trust and respect. For others to trust you with their stuff, you have to present yourself so that others know you are trustworthy.

Here are some ways to do that:

Fill up and verify your profile

Introduce yourself openly - who you are, what
you do, any information that will help the
other person understand you’re a real good guy or gal’

Specify why you need to item and what you’ll be using it for

Specify when you plan to return it

Promise to take great care of it

Stand behind your promise!

Communicate openly, make yourself reachable, available and trustworthy

In short - be a good human who’s worthy of trust! That’s the best way to be trusted.

Lenders: Borrowing and sharing is lots of fun on Rooster, but remember there’s no insurance or guarantee for your stuff. Play nice, be safe, and use your best judgment. If at any point you feel uncomfortable lending to anyone - don’t.

Asking for free stuff on Rooster

Recycling our loved items, while making sure they go to a good home and someone who needs them is a wonderful feeling! By simply asking, you are giving another person the opportunity to do that. To keep the community kind spirited, friendly, equal and reciprocal, here are some helpful tips:

Be personable and friendly: Introduce yourself, who you are, what you do, what you need the item for…. the more personal your story is, the more likely someone will be moved and want to help you out! It’s all about personal connection.

Have reasonable expectations: Rooster is all in the spirit of free giving - we do it for fun! It’s sure worth asking for stuff but remember there’s no guarantee you’ll get anything. Some luck is involved.

Don’t over do it... You’re always welcome to ask for what you need. However, constantly requesting, without offering anything back, can be unfair. We trust you’ll find a good balance.

Ask for reasonable things: No one is looking to get rid of their house or a diamond ring for free… so don’t even go there :)

No begging: Rooster is a community based on equality and participation, where anyone can offer and ask for things, any time. Sometimes we do so for the fun of it, and for the environment. Other times, there’s a real and burning necessity. Sometimes life hands you lemons. That’s totally understandable. But remember: no matter how hard things are, there is always a way to give back to your community, now or in the future. That’s why we encourage you to ask for your need, as you’d ask a group of friends, and not resort to begging. For example, please don't ask for money, cans, or bottles.

Also: No looking to buy (Rooster is about free), no looking for illegal or non family safe stuff and all those things that are mentioned on what can’t I post on Rooster.

Connecting with others on Rooster

Meeting new people to go on activities with or just hang out is lots of fun! You’ll get the best responses when others can understand who you are, what you’re about, and who you’re looking to meet. By being clear about these things, others can get how awesome it’ll be to meet you.

Here are some tips for connecting successfully:

Write a great post:
The tone of your post is everything. It gives others a sense of who you are, and is the best way for them to feel a connection and reach out. Just be you.

Fill out and verify your Rooster profile:
This gets you more trusted around here :-)

Introduce yourself well:
Who are you? What do you do? What do you like?

Specify who you’re looking to meet:
Ages? Genders? Special interests?

If you’re looking for activity partners, state what you’re looking to do, and level of experience. For example, If you’re a professional chess player, it might not be a good fit for total newbies.

Good luck, and go have fun!

Exchanging skills & services on Rooster

Exchanging skills and services is a wonderful way to learn something new, get something done, save some cash and meet new people.

Here are a few tips for successful exchanges:

Introduce yourself
Who are you? What do you do? Why are you looking for this trade?

Set expectations:
Specify the skill/s or the service/s you are looking to get, why you need them, and what professional level you need. Specify the same for what you offer in return. Setting these expectations will increase the chance of success.

Example: You might be looking to practice Spanish for fun, with anyone who is a native speaker, or you might be looking for a professional lesson from someone who has real experience as a teacher. You might be offering a photo shoot in your professional studio, or you might just do photography as a hobby. Anything is fine!

It’s OK to get creative:
You can offer to bake someone cookies, take them out for Pizza or something fun like that. It doesn’t have to be skill for skill, as long as the exchange is valuable and fun for all sides.

Fill out and verify your Rooster profile:
This gets you more trusted around here.

No advertising
Please refrain from using the skill exchange category as a way to promote your business… posts that appear promotional in nature might not pass our moderation. Just sayin’.

Oh, and of course, don't offer money.. because that’s not allowed on Rooster at all :)

Asking for a helping hand on Rooster

Sometimes we’re stuck with something, and a helping hand from a friendly neighbor is just what we need. Rooster is a great way to reach out and see if a kind soul nearby is up for the task.

Here are some tips to increase your chance of getting helped:

Write a friendly post:
state who you are, what you do, what’s the issue you need help with and why… the more personal, nice and maybe even funny your post is, the more likely someone will be moved and want to help you out! It’s all about making that personal connection.

Have reasonable expectations:
Rooster is all in the spirit of free giving - we do it for fun! It’s sure worth asking for help but remember there’s no guarantee you’ll get it. Some luck is always involved.

We recommend filling up and verifying your profile to get others to trust you more

It’s OK (but not mandatory!) to offer something small in return, like a beverage, food, a poem… so long as it’s not money, because that’s not allowed on Rooster.

The helping hand category should be used for real life help like lifting a heavy sofa, searching for a lost dog, fixing your bike or your guitar strings… if you’re looking for items post them in the “looking for free items” category

Good luck and have fun!

Volunteers wanted / offered

Many Rooster members are looking for ways to give back to their communities. This makes it a great place to find volunteers for your cause, organization, or for a specific event you’re putting together. Since everything on Rooster is free, make sure you only post volunteer opportunities and not “paid-volunteering” (e.g: medical researches that pay for participants), and also make sure to only post opportunities for people to volunteer their time and good will, not their money. In other words: no asking for cash donations or fundraising is allowed.

If you’d like to offer yourself up as a volunteer (we think you’re incredible) please do. You can look for volunteering opportunities in general, or specify a skill, ability or way you want to contribute, in case a person, cause or organization out there needs your help.

Note: Please don’t use the volunteering category as a way to promote your business. That’s not cool. Got any doubts? To make sure you’re doin’ it right see volunteering a skill or a service.

Finding Advice & recommendations on Rooster

Your local community on Rooster can be a wonderful resource for local advice or recommendations! We allow asking for advice and recommendations, to which others can reply and help you out. We don’t allow proactively posting your recommendations on Rooster. Why? Simply because recommending a service or vendor can be too similar to a promotion, and can cause confusion… sorry about that :-)

What is Rooster’s posting etiquette?

Here are some helpful guidelines:

Use friendly language, as you would with a group of friends

Separate your posts: one item, offer or other request per post

Avoid referencing other posts: posts should be stand alone. Remember, not everyone has read all previous posts on Rooster.

Give generously

Use the “wanted” posts sparingly

Do not include promotional links

Don’t use ALL CAPS - We can hear you just fine :)

Volunteering a skill or a service

Volunteering a skill or a service on Rooster is wonderful and encouraged! We can only approve genuine volunteering, not paid services in disguise. For example:

No (smells like a paid service):
“I will dog sit when you’re away - call me”.

Yes:
“I am crazy about dogs, but can not adopt one right now. It would be wonderful to have a dog over if you’re going away, please reach out. If the timing works, I’d love to host them completely for free for a few days, just leaves some dog food and toys with me.”

The signs of genuine volunteering include:

Specifing a non-monetary motivation for helping

Clearly stating your offer is free

Not mentioning a business

Setting reasonable expectations for your offer

‘First time free’ services do not qualify as volunteering

Appearing to volunteer and later asking for pay is iffy. Please avoid it on Rooster. Our moderators will ask for edits on posts that are in the gray area - thanks for understanding.

Am I allowed to post the same thing twice?

Generally speaking - yes. We encourage you to use common sense and moderation. Constantly re-posting can be counter productive, ending up annoying the very people you're looking to get help from. Be reasonable.

Do you review all posts?

Yes, we do. :)

How long before my post is approved?

It varies between a few hours and up to a few days.

How can I mark my post as resolved?

Once you have found what you needed, you can visit your post and mark it as “resolved”. This will prevent new users from contacting you, but existing conversations can continue. You can access all your posts through your Rooster profile.

Who should receive a thank you note?

Write a thank you note to Roosters who’ve really earned it. You are the best judge of that, but typically it involves doing more than just dropping you a line on email, and actually helping you in real life.

How to write a great thank you note?

A great thank you note:

“Melissa has been so kind in lending me her blender. Our family dinner was a great success, and we couldn’t have done it without her. Thank you so much for your generosity Melissa!”

Not as great thank you note:

“Thanks Melissa. Awesome”

See the difference?

Why is the minimum 2 emails per week?

Rooster is about sharing and helping one another. A big part of that is being open to receiving the posts, offers and requests others on the group are making. It's the way we communicate and participate. You can always leave the community and unsubscribe entirely by clicking the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of your Rooster email.

Does Rooster verify member identities?

Rooster does not verify member identities. We encourage members to use Rooster with care and responsibility.